This is what $17,000 gets you.

In early May of 2021, during the heart of birding season, I managed to borrow a 600 F4 L III lens from Canon Canada for a test drive. I’ve always been curious about this lens, which is legendary for its image quality, smooth-as-butter bokeh, and its exorbitant price.  At $17,000, lets just say that the Spousal Acceptance Factor (SAF) is relatively low.    The timing was impeccible, however, as this very rare (to us in London) Blue Grosbeak made an appearance.

Oh the blurred backgrounds!

This lens is extraordinarily good at blurring out the background.  And the detail is incredible.  Click through to see the feathers in higher resolution.

This was one of the best shots from the weekend – zoom in and you can see the bug this Yellow-Rumped Warbler was about to eat…